Middletown superintendent resigns. Who will take over?
MIDDLETOWN – Middletown Schools Superintendent Mary Ellen Walker is resigning, according to a resolution approved Tuesday night that also appointed a temporary replacement.
“I'm overwhelmed by the countless memories of the remarkable students that have touched my life,” Walker said at Tuesday's meeting. “I'm proud to have been part of their educational journey.”
The board on Tuesday also appointed Assistant Superintendent Jessica Alfone as acting superintendent as of July 1 and at least through the end of 2023.
She gave no reason for her departure after less than three years and school officials did not explain why she was being kept on through paid leave.
Board President Frank Capone said only that her help was needed for a transition to the next superintendent.
“We are grateful for Mrs. Walker's leadership during an extraordinarily difficult time” Capone said via email. “The Board and senior leadership are hyper-focused on not only ensuring continuity but continuing to move the district forward … Mrs. Walker will continue through Dec. 31st to help provide transitional support for the district.”
Walker, who has worked in the district for 25 years, became superintendent in 2020 after the departure of former superintendent William George, who had served for three previous years.
But she is not leaving right away.
Instead, she's being placed on paid leave until the end of 2023, according to documents.
“The Board finds that for an effective transition, and pursuant to the mutual understanding of the parties, it is in the best interest of the District to place Ms. Walker on administrative leave, effective July 1, 2023,” the resolution stated. “So the District can start the school year with a new acting chief school administrator.”
It later added that, “Ms. Walker will assist the district with transitional services for the remainder of her employment.”
Her current salary is $227,000, according to state records. She signed a four-year contract in September 2020 that is set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 school year and has included annual 2% increases.
Walker did not respond to requests for comment and her resignation letter offered no details or plans for the future.
Walker took over the top administrative role just as the COVID-19 pandemic was forcing districts to provide remote instruction in 2020 and deal with masking issues. More recently, Middletown has become one of four local districts instituting controversial policies requiring that parents be notified if students seek to change their gender identity.
Middletown Township School District is the second largest in Monmouth County with more than 8,880 students.
The largest Monmouth district, Freehold Regional High School District, recently announced that its superintendent, Charles Sampson, was leaving to take a job in Westchester County, New York.
Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp
“I’m overwhelmed by the countless memories of the remarkable students that have touched my life.”
Mary Ellen Walker